Ephram had run and run until he had to stop and catch his breath. His chest
was pounding so hard that it hurt. All he could think about was how all the
ground that he had made in this miserable little town was wiped away by his
father's doing. What little friends he managed to have made and trust he
had earned by the people of Everwood would be stripped away. He managed to
catch the last bus back to Everwood just in time before departure.
Andy was exhausted. This was the longest day of his life. He finally pronounced Colin's time of death as 10:15 PM. Once the family and friends had departed from the hospital and he caught up on all the paper work he still knew he had an exhausting 3-hour drive back home. Popping some Advil to help with the pounding headache that was forming in the front of his head, he walked out towards his car. He got in slouched down into the seat and let out a small cry that had been building all day. The outburst only lasted seconds. Just enough the release some of the pressure when his thought came back to his son. He quickly looked over and saw the vacant passenger seat and realized that he didn't have a clue where Ephram was.
He hurriedly went back into the hospital and starting looking around at all the places that Ephram had gone. He looked in vain and had them page his name through the hospital speaker system. He waited what seemed like hours to no avail. He then called the house but the phone rang and rang with no answer. His next call was to his neighbor's house, Nina.
Ephram stood in his darkened house because he didn't bother turning on any lights. He stood over the ringing phone and noticed from caller ID that it was his father calling. That information was enough for him to decide to ignore the phone. The last person he wanted to talk to was his father. He heard the back door by the kitchen open and then the shock of blinding lights as Nina flipped on the lights.
"Ephram you're home."
"Is that what you call this place, " he sarcastically answered back.
Nina ignored the comment and continued in puzzlement. "How long have you been here? Your father has been calling and calling you."
"I know. I just didn't bother answering the phone."
Nina looked around and starting turning on some more lights in the house. "Are you ok? I know this must be hard on you." She walked over towards him and noticed how he reverted back out of her reach. "Ephram?"
"No you don't. You can't possible know how I feel. Sorry for being rude but I'm going to bed." With that said, he turned and rushed out of the room.
Delia walked in behind Nina with a questionable look on her face. "Is Ephram here?" Nina put her arms around her shoulder. "Hey kiddo, do you want to spend the night tonight? You and Sam can have a slumber party?"
"Sam's already asleep but I can keep you company. Do you know when my Dad will be home."
"Not for several hours. I think we'll both be asleep by the time he gets home so let's go get your pajama's" As Delia walked upstairs to her room, Nina called Andy to let him know that Ephram was safe and angry at the house.
Andy was able to drive home in peace once he got word that his son was safe and at home. He had a long ride home and his mind began to wonder. What was going through Ephram's head and what was he feeling. He knew that the harsh words that Amy yelled out earlier had to hurt. Nina had said that he was angry but why? Could she have mistaken his anger for anguish? It didn't make sense for him to be angry. He could understand hurt and pain but not anger. All the analyzing that went through his head made the trip seem short because as soon as he stopped thinking, he was home.
It was approaching 2AM and Andy needed some sleep. He thought that he would take a peak in his son's room for his own benefit and comfort. When he tried to turn the door handle it wouldn't turn. The door was locked. In the entire year that they had lived in Everwood, Andy had never known Ephram to lock is door. He was just going to leave it and deal with it in the morning but he had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he needed to physically see his son.
He knocked gently as to not scare him from a sound sleep. No answer. He knocked a little harder and called out his name. Still no answer. After pounding loudly on the door with no trace of movement in the room he stepped back and plunged his big foot in the door and it popped open breaking the latch.
There was Ephram sprawled out across the bed, fully clothed, dangling half on and half off. There was several hard liquor bottles empty lying around the bed. Andy ran over to feel a pause. He was breathing hard and stank of booze. Andy rolled him over to help remove his cloth but was greeted to a swinging fist from his son.
The sudden movement of his body was enough to wake Ephram up from a sound sleep. He unleashed his anger unto his father. "Get away from me. How did you get in here? The door was locked." He stood up after pushing himself away from his father and stumbled to the door. He looked at the door and saw the damage. "You broke my fucking door. Get out! I didn't say you could come in here. Leave me alone."
The insults probably would have gone on for hours if Andy hadn't come around the other side of the bed and grabbed his son by both arms. This just mad Ephram madder and loose complete control. It looked like a live wrestling match with Ephram's arms and legs flaring while Andy tried to get a handle on the situation. The obscenities rolled off of Ephram's tongue as he diligently tried to fight his father off.
Andy was starting to loose the battling until he couldn't take it no more. He hauled off and backhanded Ephram right across the face sending him back up against the wall. "THAT'S CHILD ABUSE! I'M CALLING THE POLICE."
Andy now had the advantage because Ephram was cornered and up against the wall with no where to run. Whether it was the stress from the days events or the lack of sleep but Andy had lost all patience and was running on adrenaline now. He was face-to-face with Ephram holding onto both biceps as tightly as he could.
"I've seen child abuse before so you don't know what child abuse really is. I'd more than happy to oblige you if you want." With no response back Andy ushered Ephram into the bathroom and turned on the cold shower.
Ephram wasn't stupid and knew exactly what his father had in store for him. He started to back out of the bathroom but Andy was quicker than he was and slammed the door before he could step through. He proceeded to shove a fully dressed Ephram into the shower in anticipation of round two of the fighting match.
After exerting as much energy as he had, Ephram knew that he was fighting a loosing battle. He finally gave up and slid down the shower walls shivering as the cold water poured over his body. When he finally came into contact with the floor, he rolled over onto hands and knees and began vomiting down the drain.
Once Andy felt that he had emptied the contents of his stomach he turned the water off. He retrieved and towel and wrapped it around his son's body. He helped him out of the shower and sat him on top of the toilet. He bent down eye level with Ephram and said, "Do you feel better now?"
With as much disgust as he could muster, Ephram looked his father in the eyes and said, "I hate you so much."
Andy was exhausted. This was the longest day of his life. He finally pronounced Colin's time of death as 10:15 PM. Once the family and friends had departed from the hospital and he caught up on all the paper work he still knew he had an exhausting 3-hour drive back home. Popping some Advil to help with the pounding headache that was forming in the front of his head, he walked out towards his car. He got in slouched down into the seat and let out a small cry that had been building all day. The outburst only lasted seconds. Just enough the release some of the pressure when his thought came back to his son. He quickly looked over and saw the vacant passenger seat and realized that he didn't have a clue where Ephram was.
He hurriedly went back into the hospital and starting looking around at all the places that Ephram had gone. He looked in vain and had them page his name through the hospital speaker system. He waited what seemed like hours to no avail. He then called the house but the phone rang and rang with no answer. His next call was to his neighbor's house, Nina.
Ephram stood in his darkened house because he didn't bother turning on any lights. He stood over the ringing phone and noticed from caller ID that it was his father calling. That information was enough for him to decide to ignore the phone. The last person he wanted to talk to was his father. He heard the back door by the kitchen open and then the shock of blinding lights as Nina flipped on the lights.
"Ephram you're home."
"Is that what you call this place, " he sarcastically answered back.
Nina ignored the comment and continued in puzzlement. "How long have you been here? Your father has been calling and calling you."
"I know. I just didn't bother answering the phone."
Nina looked around and starting turning on some more lights in the house. "Are you ok? I know this must be hard on you." She walked over towards him and noticed how he reverted back out of her reach. "Ephram?"
"No you don't. You can't possible know how I feel. Sorry for being rude but I'm going to bed." With that said, he turned and rushed out of the room.
Delia walked in behind Nina with a questionable look on her face. "Is Ephram here?" Nina put her arms around her shoulder. "Hey kiddo, do you want to spend the night tonight? You and Sam can have a slumber party?"
"Sam's already asleep but I can keep you company. Do you know when my Dad will be home."
"Not for several hours. I think we'll both be asleep by the time he gets home so let's go get your pajama's" As Delia walked upstairs to her room, Nina called Andy to let him know that Ephram was safe and angry at the house.
Andy was able to drive home in peace once he got word that his son was safe and at home. He had a long ride home and his mind began to wonder. What was going through Ephram's head and what was he feeling. He knew that the harsh words that Amy yelled out earlier had to hurt. Nina had said that he was angry but why? Could she have mistaken his anger for anguish? It didn't make sense for him to be angry. He could understand hurt and pain but not anger. All the analyzing that went through his head made the trip seem short because as soon as he stopped thinking, he was home.
It was approaching 2AM and Andy needed some sleep. He thought that he would take a peak in his son's room for his own benefit and comfort. When he tried to turn the door handle it wouldn't turn. The door was locked. In the entire year that they had lived in Everwood, Andy had never known Ephram to lock is door. He was just going to leave it and deal with it in the morning but he had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind that he needed to physically see his son.
He knocked gently as to not scare him from a sound sleep. No answer. He knocked a little harder and called out his name. Still no answer. After pounding loudly on the door with no trace of movement in the room he stepped back and plunged his big foot in the door and it popped open breaking the latch.
There was Ephram sprawled out across the bed, fully clothed, dangling half on and half off. There was several hard liquor bottles empty lying around the bed. Andy ran over to feel a pause. He was breathing hard and stank of booze. Andy rolled him over to help remove his cloth but was greeted to a swinging fist from his son.
The sudden movement of his body was enough to wake Ephram up from a sound sleep. He unleashed his anger unto his father. "Get away from me. How did you get in here? The door was locked." He stood up after pushing himself away from his father and stumbled to the door. He looked at the door and saw the damage. "You broke my fucking door. Get out! I didn't say you could come in here. Leave me alone."
The insults probably would have gone on for hours if Andy hadn't come around the other side of the bed and grabbed his son by both arms. This just mad Ephram madder and loose complete control. It looked like a live wrestling match with Ephram's arms and legs flaring while Andy tried to get a handle on the situation. The obscenities rolled off of Ephram's tongue as he diligently tried to fight his father off.
Andy was starting to loose the battling until he couldn't take it no more. He hauled off and backhanded Ephram right across the face sending him back up against the wall. "THAT'S CHILD ABUSE! I'M CALLING THE POLICE."
Andy now had the advantage because Ephram was cornered and up against the wall with no where to run. Whether it was the stress from the days events or the lack of sleep but Andy had lost all patience and was running on adrenaline now. He was face-to-face with Ephram holding onto both biceps as tightly as he could.
"I've seen child abuse before so you don't know what child abuse really is. I'd more than happy to oblige you if you want." With no response back Andy ushered Ephram into the bathroom and turned on the cold shower.
Ephram wasn't stupid and knew exactly what his father had in store for him. He started to back out of the bathroom but Andy was quicker than he was and slammed the door before he could step through. He proceeded to shove a fully dressed Ephram into the shower in anticipation of round two of the fighting match.
After exerting as much energy as he had, Ephram knew that he was fighting a loosing battle. He finally gave up and slid down the shower walls shivering as the cold water poured over his body. When he finally came into contact with the floor, he rolled over onto hands and knees and began vomiting down the drain.
Once Andy felt that he had emptied the contents of his stomach he turned the water off. He retrieved and towel and wrapped it around his son's body. He helped him out of the shower and sat him on top of the toilet. He bent down eye level with Ephram and said, "Do you feel better now?"
With as much disgust as he could muster, Ephram looked his father in the eyes and said, "I hate you so much."
